A brief summary of our campaign 2019 – 2022
Since 2006, Cardiff Council had been the sole trustee of the Norwegian Church Preservation Trust. But the future of the church came under threat when the council announced, in late 2018, that they intended to seek a commercial tenant for the building. The main reason driving the council’s decision was the annual subsidy they were providing to keep the church running.
We were convinced that the Norwegian Church could thrive as an independent charity without the need for council subsidy. After persistent campaigning during 2019, the Society reached agreement with the council that we would explore a Community Asset Transfer to return the Norwegian Church back to the community. We then launched an appeal to raise funds for a feasibility study to find the best possible future for the Norwegian Church.
We were assisted by a grant from £4000 from the Architectural Heritage Fund who said:
REPORT
The report had the desired result. In November 2021, Cardiff Council agreed to transfer the Norwegian Church, including the current lease, to a new charitable body led by the Welsh Norwegian Society.
The new charity would take control of the day-to-day running of the Church.
The council’s Cabinet Member for Investment and Development, Cllr Russell Goodway, said:
“The Norwegian Church is one of the most iconic buildings on Cardiff Bay’s waterfront and we have to find new ways of protecting it for future generations. This will hopefully provide a sustainable future for the Church, whilst respecting its links with our colleagues in Norway.”
The council’s vision for the city, Capital Ambition, includes a commitment to address the backlog maintenance of the city’s most historic buildings and look at new and inventive ways of safeguarding their future.
Chair of Trustees of the new Charity Norwegian Church Cardiff Bay, Dr Martin Price, said:
“We have been working closely in partnership with Cardiff Council to transfer the Church back into an independent Charity. This will enable us to access more resources for the Norwegian Church which is such an iconic part of Cardiff Bay’s waterfront. We have exciting plans for the Church, explaining its heritage, building on its reputation as an arts centre and enhancing its role in the community, and will be welcoming people back to this lovely building very soon.”
Welcoming the transfer after three years of campaigning, the chair of the Welsh Norwegian Society, Dr Tyra Oseng-Rees said:
“We are delighted that the Norwegian Church is to start a new chapter in its long life and look forward to helping to celebrate the longstanding links between Wales and Norway.”
Welsh Norwegian Society 